Séamus Hughes
Séamus F. Hughes is an Irish District Court judge and former Fianna Fáil politician.
He is from Westport, County Mayo. Hughes was a solicitor, when he was elected to the 27th Dáil as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Mayo West constituency on his first attempt at the 1992 general election. He lost his seat at the 1997 general election when the constituency was combined with Mayo East and the combined Mayo constituency was reduced to 5 seats. Hughes was then appointed State Solicitor for County Mayo.
Hughes is a District Court judge since 2009, sitting in District Court area Number One which includes Buncrana, Carndonagh, Dungloe, Falcarragh, Glenties, and Letterkenny in County Donegal. He has attracted criticism over comments on the ethnic backgrounds of those before him in court, having described some as "neanderthals" and commented on social welfare being like "snuff at a wake".
